Pupils from four London schools are busy making final tweaks to their winter soup and bread recipes ahead of next week’s annual
Young Marketeers Winter Soup Sale at Borough Market – with the help of some extra special expert judges. Food critic, author and sustainability champion
Melissa Hemsley and columnist, chef and food writer Xanthe Clay visited Lilian Baylis Technology School in Kennington, this week, along with the Market’s new CEO Jane Swift, to sample and judge some of the pupils’ recipes.
The sale will take place on
Thursday 2nd
February from 12-2pm where four schools will set up stalls in London’s iconic food market and sell their delicious creations to the public,
raising money for The Felix Project. Every £1 provides enough food for six tasty meals for vulnerable people across the capital.
The Winter Soup Sale is an annual event and forms part of the Young Marketeers Programme, now in its 11th
year. Run by School Food Matters in partnership with Borough Market, the programme teaches students about how to avoid food waste, eat seasonally and develop their cookery skills as well as giving them the entrepreneurial skills to market and sell their goods,
thanks to advice from the Market’s expert traders.
Pupils taking part are taught by the School Food Matters food teacher how to make three tasty soups using seasonal vegetables, while Borough Market’s popular
bakers at Bread Ahead give the students a ciabatta breadmaking masterclass to serve alongside their soup.
The soups are tested by a judging panel of Borough Market specialists ahead of the sale, to ensure the quality and flavour meets Market standards. Students
can then refine their recipes before the big day.
Food critic, author and sustainability champion Melissa Hemsley,
said: “It’s so heart-warming to see young people learning about food. The Young Marketeers Programme is a fantastic platform for school children to gain invaluable cooking skills and understand where their food comes from, and this new knowledge really shone
through in their soup creations. What I also love about this programme is that the children learn about food waste and food poverty through its connection with The Felix Project – an organisation I have been working with closely over the last four years. I
wish the pupils the best of luck in raising funds for this important cause through their winter soup sale next week.”
Columnist, chef and food writer Xanthe Clay
said: “What a fantastic initiative by Borough Market and School Food Matters. The soups made by the students were all
delicious – we had a tough time choosing a
winning soup as so much had gone into each one, but
the deep flavoured, satisfying Caldo Verde was irresistible. This scheme combining cooking
skills, reducing waste, and business know-how alongside supporting food poverty NGOs, really engaged the students on so many levels and I can’t wait to hear how the day selling soup at Borough Market goes.”
The Young Marketeers will be selling their freshly made produce in the glass fronted Market Hall. In line with Borough Market’s commitment to sustainability,
the soup will be served in compostable containers with no single use plastic cutlery on site.
Jane Swift, CEO at Borough Market,
said:
“The Winter Soup Sale is a highlight of our Young Marketeers Programme, as the children gain essential skills and knowledge on how to use seasonal vegetables to produce delicious, nutritious meals from scratch. It is always so rewarding for the pupils taking
part to see members of the public buying and enjoying their creations in a world-famous Market. Not only do they get a better understanding on where their food comes from and how to cook with it, but our traders are also on hand to give them top tips to build
on their entrepreneurial skills. This year we’re thrilled that students are also gaining expertise from such renowned food experts as Melissa and Xanthe – and we’re sure that the soups will taste better than ever as a result!”
